Tips for cooking vegetarian dishes with an air fryer, reducing oil on Buddha’s Birthday

1 Frying Tofu

How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Tofu

Good tofu that does not contain gypsum will have a creamy white color, feel light when held, has a smooth surface, and has a faint aroma of delicious soybeans.

Avoid mistakenly buying pieces of tofu that are yellowing, feel heavy when held, and have a faint smell of lime, as these pieces may have been mixed with gypsum, which is very harmful to health if consumed.

To ensure safety, you should buy tofu from reputable tofu production stores, or you can try making tofu at home with the simple steps guided by TasteVN below!

Brush a light layer of oil when frying

When placing tofu in the frying basket, brushing a light layer of oil on the tofu will help it become crispier and enhance non-stick properties.

If you like your tofu to be golden and crispy, after frying one side, open the fryer, flip the tofu over, brush on another light layer of oil, and continue frying!

You can line with aluminum foil or parchment paper

It is recommended to line with aluminum foil or parchment paper to enhance non-stick capabilities, especially for fried tofu dishes seasoned with ingredients like: chili powder, satay, soy sauce,… making it easier to clean.

Especially, aluminum foil will help the tofu achieve a moderate golden color without being too dark!

Do not fry for too long

You should not fry tofu for too long as it will become hard and chewy. Fry one side for about 7 – 10 minutes at a temperature of 180 to 200 degrees Celsius!

Refer to some tofu frying recipes using an air fryer shared by TasteVN:

2 Frying tofu skin – bean curd skin

How to choose good tofu skin

Choose pieces of tofu skin that are off-white, have a gentle aroma typical of soybeans, and feel soft to the touch but not hard.

Avoid selecting pieces of tofu skin that are dark yellow, have a foul sour smell, and feel slimy to the touch.

To ensure health safety, you can also make tofu skin at home using the recipe below shared by TasteVN.

Execution Steps

Soak the dry tofu skin in warm water for about 30 minutes until soft. After the dry tofu skin has softened, cut it into bite-sized pieces (if you buy fresh tofu skin, just wash it clean with water, let it drain, and then fry it).

Next, arrange the tofu skin in a frying tray lined with parchment paper, brush a thin layer of cooking oil, and fry at 200 degrees Celsius for 1 – 2 minutes for fresh tofu skin, while for dry tofu skin, fry for about 3 – 4 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Do Not Fry Too Long

You should not fry tofu skin for too long because tofu skin cooks quickly and can easily burn.

Characteristics of Tofu Skin Fried with Oil and Air Fryer

Tofu skin fried with oil looks golden and crispy but can be greasy to eat because it absorbs a lot of oil.

Tofu skin fried with an air fryer doesn’t look as appealing as when fried in oil, but it is still very crispy and less greasy.

3 Roasting Vegetables with an Air Fryer

Selecting Vegetables

When roasting vegetables with an air fryer, you should choose hard vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, eggplants, etc., to make the roasted dish crispy and delicious.

Marinate with Spices

The roasted vegetables will taste better when marinated with some spices like chili paste, soy sauce, etc., so you need to use a frying basket or line with foil for easier cleaning.

Line with aluminum foil or use skewers

You can use skewers or aluminum foil to create delicious and attractive vegetarian dishes.

4 Vegetarian fried dishes using crispy flour, breadcrumb, and a lot of seasoning

Line with aluminum foil

When making vegetarian fried dishes using crispy flour, breadcrumbs, and a lot of seasoning, you should line with aluminum foil so that the spices do not burn and it will be easier to clean the fryer.

Use a frying basket

You should use a frying basket to prevent the food from coming into direct contact with the pot, making it easier to clean the pot after cooking.

The article on TasteVN has suggested to you tips for cooking vegetarian dishes with an air fryer, limiting grease on the Buddha’s Birthday. We hope that with this information you can make delicious vegetarian dishes, wish you success!